The present invention relates to the game of tennis and, in particular, to a ball which can be used to slow the pace of the game for teaching and practicing purposes, and for normal play by participants seeking a somewhat slower than conventional pace.
In the game of tennis, as is the case with many of the games or sports being played on a competitive level, there is a trend toward increasing the pace of play. This is fine for experienced participants or for participants in their physical prime, but for less physically active participants, such as those of advanced age or those suffering from minor injuries or disabilities, or for participants who are inexperienced or merely desirous of a more "social" game, it is desirable to provide some means for controlling or slowing the pace of the game.
It is also desirous to provide means for simplifying the game so that it will be rewarding to a wider range of participants.
To this latter end numerous developments have been made in the equipment used in the game of tennis. For example, larger rackets have been developed so as to provide a larger hitting area with which to contact the ball. Tennis balls also have been modified, for example, to bounce more consistently over a period of time. Tennis balls also have been made in colors such as yellow or orange, which can be seen more easily than the once conventional white or off-white balls, and recently, tennis balls have been made in contrasting colors so that the spin on the ball can be seen more easily. This latter feature, i.e., contrasting colors is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,170,352 to Vcala.